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Financial Meltdown for the Church? “Donations to evangelical churches and organizations are on course to decline by about 70% within the next 25-30 years due to the deaths of the most generous generation” says John S. Dickerson in his book, The Great Evangelical Recession. This financial meltdown megatrend is already underway as he further predicts…

It is easy to be so task and performance oriented that we don’t pay enough attention to our own personal development as leaders. As a new year begins, I encourage you to grab hold of some of the following tips, adapted from several of my favorite sources which are listed at the end of the…

Church Leadership Center celebrates a year of transformational leadership education in the Reformed Church in America (RCA) and Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in North America. Following are examples of the equipping of Commissioned Pastors, course facilitators, mentors, and other lay leaders. THE CURRENT IMPACT OF CLC INCLUDES: 43 Commissioned Pastors (CLC trained) who have completed…

I have friends with tattoos. These markings are often deeply meaningful to them as statements of who they are and what they want to remember. There are many popular tattoo symbols that do this. The anchor is a symbol of hope, the dove represents peace, the cross identifies the death and resurrection of Christ. There…

5 Ways to Care for Your Elders Years ago, the pastor in my childhood church took a call to another congregation. The process began in April, but the pastor did not want to move until June, after his children finished their school year. A search committee to find the next pastor was struck, and the…

Tis the season… for Christmas concerts. So far during this Christmas season, my wife and I have attended at least eight Christmas concerts. While blessed by these merry musical feasts, I am also amazed by the leadership skills of the conductors and directors. It is especially fascinating to observe the relational dynamics of conductors with…

Below you will find courses that will help you grow! Church Leadership Center courses begin in mid-January on the topics of New Testament, Preaching, Sacraments and Worship, and Church Planting. These are relevant for leadership development, Commissioned Pastor candidates, or other adults looking for high commitment church-related learning experiences. Classes may be taken in small…

I am a timid pastor. It is hard for me to write that, because I love Jesus and I love his church, and I have felt the call to ministry since I was a young teen. I went to seminary straight from college, and became a pastor before I turned 26. I have enjoyed a…

After reading the story in Genesis 15 where God tells Abraham to look up at the night sky, and promises that his future family will outnumber the stars, a teacher gave this assignment: “Tonight I want you to go out to your back yards and try to count the stars; tomorrow we will compare how…